Al Qaeda-linked group says 21 soldiers killed in widescale attacks in Mali

Mali's army declines to provide a toll but says its outposts in Farabougou and Biriki-Were come under "simultaneous attack"

Al Qaeda-linked militants killed 21 soldiers during coordinated attacks in Mali on Tuesday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a US-based non-governmental organisation that tracks online reports by Islamist militants.

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) said it captured two soldiers, seized 15 military vehicles and more than 50 weapons during the "widescale" operation.

Mali's army declined to provide a toll on Wednesday but said its outposts in Farabougou and Biriki-Were came under "simultaneous attack" early on Tuesday, according to a military statement.

JNIM said they had taken control of a military barracks and militia positions in Farabougou on Tuesday and detonated an improvised explosive device against an army vehicle in the south-central Segou region.

The army did not respond to a request for comment on that claim.

Segou, a strategic hub in south-central Mali, has seen repeated clashes between jihadist groups, government forces and allied militias amid a years-long insurgency that has spread across the arid Sahel region.

JNIM is shifting from rural guerrilla tactics to a campaign aimed at controlling territory around urban centres and asserting political dominance in the Sahel.

Mali's military leaders took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, vowing to restore security in a country where militant groups control large areas of the north and centre and stage frequent attacks on the army and civilians.